Orangespotted Sunfish Essay

The Orangespotted Sunfish (Lepomis humilis) is often confused with other sunfishes. This species is classified in the class Actinopterygii, order Perciformes, and family Centrarchidae. One characteristic that makes them stand out from other fishes are their black and orange spots. Also, their operculum is lined with a solid white band. Nine to ten bars can be identified on this fish. The bars on the female have a light center, which is a way of gender identification when the males are outside of the breeding season and not brightly colored. Identification of species and gender is especially important when sampling fishes. During breeding season, males have a bright orange belly and metallic blue body while the females are much duller in color. The males are
The primary swimming form of the Orangespotted Sunfish is labriform because they row their pectoral fins, an oscillatory fin motion. The mouth of these fish are terminal and moderately large. A terminal mouth allows this species to be a benthic and surface feeder. Their gill rakers are long and slender with space between them. This allows for particles in the water that flow into the mouth of the fish that they do not want to eat, to flush out. It indicates that the food of this fish is medium to large sized compared to their body. This correlates with an omnivorous diet and the ability to consume small and large prey. Daphnia and Cyclops are crustaceans often found in this species’ diet. Also, they help with mosquito control by feeding on mosquito larvae. The eyes of the Orangespotted Sunfish are corrected for spherical aberration, meaning they are a visual fish and need sight to find their prey. Since their prey is small fish and crustaceans, good eyesight is important to find them in the murky water that they live in. The Orangespotted Sunfish has adapted traits to better thrive in it’s